


Call Pump Blow

by canadino



Series: Baewatch AU (the beach fics) [1]
Category: Gintama
Genre: M/M, baewatch AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-23 03:18:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11394264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canadino/pseuds/canadino
Summary: Takasugi goes to the beach.





	Call Pump Blow

“Y’know, in all my years of lifeguarding at this beach, this is the first time I’ve seen someone look so sour about being here on such a nice day.”

Finding the implicit challenge, Takasugi twisted his face to look even more disagreeable. The effect was slightly dampened by one of Katsura’s large, floppy sun hats on his head. “There’s always a first time for everything.”

“Well, you’re entitled to be a moody brat, but don’t ruin it for everyone else!”

Takasugi would have come out swinging but he had his arms full of towels, his bag, and a large red and white folding umbrella under one armpit. Sensing the animosity, Katsura increased the wattage in his grin. “It’s been nice running into you, Gintoki, but the beach is filling up and we won’t get a good spot if we don’t hurry and claim one! We’ll be in your care today, then.”

“I’d rather drown,” Takasugi spat 

The lifeguard grinned back at Katsura, though it became more of a smirk when he regarded Takasugi. “You know where to find me before you sink completely under then,” he said, gesturing at the tall, white platform in the middle of the sand. “I’ll try to look more handsome so burn that image in your mind as you meet your ancestors.”

“I purposefully won’t die so my last moments won’t be soiled by something as unpleasant as you!” But the lifeguard was walking away and laughing, judging by the way his shoulders were shaking. Takasugi narrowed his eyes looking at the lifeguard’s shoulders, thrown back to strut across the sand like a puffed up peacock. In the sun and at his angle, he could see the lifeguard’s back flex to match the resistance from walking over sand, defined muscles honed from swimming in the ocean and probably lifting weights like a typical gym rat to prepare for hauling a sinking body from the water. Takasugi might have given him an iota of respect, if only for putting up with shrieking children and humid weather to save lives, but anyone deserving of his respect wouldn’t be wearing awfully gaudy strawberry print swim trunks 

“Shinsuke? If you don’t follow me you’ll lose me in the crowd.”

Takasugi jogged up to Katsura, almost slipping on the sand in his haste. “Let’s get out of here. I’m sure there’s a ton of other beaches around here.”

“Really? But this one’s the best. And you were so excited to come when I asked if you wanted to come with me!”

“I was excited, until I realized this was all just a scheme for you to make me meet up with the weirdos you befriend here and there. I said I wasn’t interested.” Katsura opened his mouth to refute but closed it again at the sight of Takasugi’s glower. Instead, he pointed at an open spot in the sand; Takasugi speared the umbrella in with a sickening crunch. A little girl nearby looked up at him fearfully and returned to her mother’s side. Katsura had switched recently from cajoling him to watch the teen romance dramas Katsura enjoyed so much in the evenings to speaking vaguely about someone who Takasugi ‘just had to meet’ who was insisting that they all get dinner together or some equally questionable idea. It didn’t take a genius to see the direction the gears in Katsura’s head were spinning.

“Gintoki’s a good guy,” Katsura said airly, laying out the beach towels. “And anyway, it wasn’t my intention to introduce you two today, but when you actually accepted my invitation to go outside and spend time in a busy public place, I thought it would be good to utilize this time.”

“I thought we were friends,” Takasugi grumbled. “Friends wouldn’t do this to each other.” Even under the umbrella and in the midst of a mob of bodies in colorful swimwear, Takasugi thought he caught Gintoki’s gaze from the lifeguard’s seat. He turned his glare back to Katsura.

“If you’re not interested, you’re not interested,” Katsura shrugged, although he didn’t seem bothered that his attempt at matchmaking had gone so horribly awry. Tucking his hair underneath his large sun hat, he began applying sunscreen. Takasugi was big enough of a person to admit that his friend was conventionally attractive and well-built and was already drawing the attention of the women nearby who had come with their friends or alone. The thought of Gintoki’s perverted eyes on Katsura made his skin crawl and he made sure to angle himself to block that view. “You really should put sunscreen on; you’re never outside and you’ll burn to a crisp.”

Takasugi snatched the bottle from Katsura’s hand. “Don’t make it sound like I’m a hermit. I go outside.” It was true he preferred to gaze at the world from behind a window and carry out his machinations at night. Going out during the day increased the chances of him encountering nuisances, like the lifeguard whose eyes he could feel boring into his back. A glance over his shoulder confirmed his suspicions. The lifeguard was leaning forward, his chin resting on his palm, and he gave Takasugi a cheeky grin with white teeth. “Where did you find that guy anyway?”

“He hangs around this area a lot, so I’ve seen him around. I think he also babysits since he usually has kids tagging along with him.”

“Who’s to say they’re not his illegitimate children?”

Katsura threw his head back and laughed. “Why are you so opposed to him, Shinsuke? He greeted you normally enough.”

“It’s because I knew you were trying to set me up. Sure, you know a lot of people here and there, but when your friends are looking at me in a certain way and you’re trying and failing to be nonchalant, I know what’s going on.” Takasugi rubbed at his arms a little more forcefully, the stickiness of the sunblock feeling irritable on his skin when it was already so humid. “What did you even tell him about me? Why would you ever think this would be a good idea?”

Shedding his shirt and throwing his hair back like a ridiculous model, Katsura slid on a pair of large sunglasses and lounged elegantly on his towel. Takasugi rolled his eyes. “I only mentioned that you are a fan of Shouyou Yoshida’s weekly column and apparently he’s Gintoki’s father or uncle or something-”

“He’s his what!”

“...so he suggested we could all meet up or something. I thought you’d want that opportunity!”

Takasugi scowled, not missing the way Gintoki had continuously angled himself toward their section of the beach. “Obviously I want to meet Shouyou, but you didn’t need to try and match me with his son or whoever that guy is. I mean, he keeps looking at me; what do I have to do to force him to see I’m not interested in the least?”

Katsura peered at him over his glasses. “I never thought to set you and Gintoki up romantically; that never came up at all.” When Takasugi gaped at him, he gasped. “How do you know he’s been looking at you? Are you being aware of him?”

“It’s so hot,” Takasugi announced, standing abruptly. “I’m going to go for a swim.” Not waiting for Katsura’s reaction, he rushed over to the water. He hadn’t imagined Gintoki watching him, but it mortified him to think he had misconstrued the situation. It didn’t mortify him that he wasn’t being led into a blind date, because that actually made him happy - he would rather die than entertain the thought of Gintoki taking his hand or something disgustingly sappy like that. Plunging into the water, Takasugi cringed at the very thought of running his hands through that messy mop of silver hair. It looked soft, like something that would feel good to the touch, but it was probably ill-kept and imagining Gintoki doing something like leaning into his hands was making his stomach upset. Resurfacing, Takasugi decided that it was all good in the end - better for him to have just assumed Gintoki had been interested in him than the opposite be true. He wasn’t at all charmed by sleepy eyes, even if they made his skin prickle when he was the one being looked at.

There was a commotion happening on the beach, and Takasugi turned, treading water all the while. Gintoki had come down from the lifeguard tower and was making his way toward the ocean. “Excuse me!” he called. “Coming through, drowning person in need of help!”

Glancing around him, Takasugi couldn’t see anyone struggling; the tide was out and the water wasn’t particularly choppy. Looking for a note of panic in any of the nearby swimmers’ faces, he registered Gintoki diving in through his peripheral vision and noticed the lifeguard was swimming toward him. By no means did Takasugi want to play being a hero, but the thought of letting someone just drown near him didn’t sit well with him.

“Where are they?” Takasugi asked when Gintoki was in earshot, a floatation device under his arm. But Gintoki said nothing and looped his hands underneath Takasugi’s armpits and grabbed onto him. “Wait! Hold on, I’m not drowning!” Looking around again, he noticed that all the swimmers who had been around him had floated away to give Gintoki a wide enough berth; there was literally no one else in the vicinity that Gintoki could have been swimming toward. “I wasn’t drowning! What’re you doing?”

“I got you, don’t panic,” Gintoki said, pulling him close so he felt Gintoki’’s chest against his back. This was embarrassing; he hadn’t been any danger and now everyone was looking over at him as if he had just been a fool who didn’t know how to swim and still wandered into the sea. “Let yourself go limp and I’ll pull you to shore.”

“I’m literally not drowning, and I can swim just fine,” Takasugi protested, although his struggling had made Gintoki hold him even tighter and he was now fully aware of how it felt to be embraced by him. As they approached the shore, he saw Katsura standing there staring at them. He knew he should have stayed at home.

Dragging Takasugi onto the beach, Gintoki practically laid him out on the sand despite how he had walked almost unassisted out of the water and was wide awake and very aware. Takasugi was about to swat Gintoki’s hand from his shoulder and berate him for causing a false alarm when Gintoki announced, “It looks like I need to perform CPR.”

“No, you don’t,” Takasugi said. Gintoki put his other hand on Takasugi’s other shoulder and leaned down. He was hovering and his face was very close.

“Are you sure?” Gintoki asked, quietly so that the small crowd that had gathered did not hear. His breath was hot on Takasugi’s cheek. His eyelids were still droopy, but his eyes were clear.

“Uh,” Takasugi said. “Maybe, I don’t know. To be safe?” Gintoki pressed his mouth onto Takasugi’s. This was not CPR. CPR involved rhythmic chest compressions, and also Gintoki was licking at his bottom lip. CPR definitely did not involve tongue-on-tongue activity. “Wait,” he said, pushing Gintoki away for a moment. “What if there are actually people drowning right now?”

“My shift was over when I dove in after you. There’s someone else doing the lookout now.” Takasugi peered through the people on the beach to the lifeguard tower, where someone else with equally bushy hair and a pair of sunglasses was now perched. The crowd that had gathered was now dispersing, though Katsura now had a smug look on his face. “You’re good now? You can breathe easy?”

Takasugi coughed. “I think I might still have some water in my lungs, actually.” 

**Author's Note:**

> The title is drawn from what you're apparently supposed to do for CPR. I'm not certified, I don't even know how to swim. Thanks for reading!


End file.
